A BIBLE STUDY ON LIBERTY Liberty and freedom relate to jubilee property redemption and return (Leviticus 25:10). Isaiah proclaimed liberty to the Israelite captives in Babylon (Isaiah 61:1) -promising the possession of the land (61:7) & - rebuilding the city (61:4). Jesus begins his ministry reciting Isaiah 61:1 and 58:6 on release-to the captives and even adds setting at liberty those who are oppressed(Luke 4:18-19). The words of Jesus were very revolutionary and helpful to the Israelites. They were earthy and would best be understood for recovering the land from the Romans and religious leaders in the tradition of Isaiah 61 and Leviticus 25. Biblical liberty includes both personal liberty from slavery and family possession of land and a village house. 1. Read Luke 4:16-30 (NIV) ( the words in RED are in verses 18-19, 21, & 23) 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. Was Jesus talking about spiritual, political or economic liberty and release? Or all of the above? 2. Read Leviticus 25:1-55. Would the jubilee decentralize economic power into families rather than with the government or with the wealthy corporate few? 2. Read Numbers 33:50-56 and Leviticus 25. Is the Bible teaching for or against equally distributed family-owned property? What other ideas or thoughts does Luke 4:16-30?
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 05:55:15 +0000
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